Improvement in combs



B. E. IBRITTON.

COMB.

Patented Jan,4,18'76.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. BRITTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT m COMBS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 17 1,717, dated January 4, 1876; application filed December 13, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

of the city, county, and State of New York,

' have invented certain Improvements in Combs for the Head, of which the following is a specification This invention consists in a toothed comb having one, two, three, or more teeth, I), as may be preferred, and constructed with one or more eyes, sockets, or holders, through which hairpins-either single or double shankedmay be thrust, to assist in retaining the comb in position uponthe head, as well as to more securely retain the hair itself in position.

The several figures of the drawing illustrate various modifications of my invention.

Figure 1 represents, in partial section, a three-toothed comb, the head A of which projects to form lateral ears, as shown'at a. EX- tending quite through each of these earsaare holes, eyes, sockets, or holders, as they may be termed, shown at to. These eyes a may be oblique, sloping inward from the upper to the under side of the head a, as shown in Fig. 1, just referred to. The comb being adjusted in the usual or in any appropriate mannerupon the head of the wearer, ordinary hair-pins are thrust through the eyes a, as shown in the side view, Fig. 2, into the hair, at a slight distance from. the teeth I) of the comb, and, holding fast in the hair, assist materially in holding the comb in place, and, at the same time, more securely retain the hair in position.

The most effective hold of the hair-pins is obtained when, owing to the oblique position of the eyes, the said hair-pins are made to cross, as shown in Fig. 2; but, when desired, the eyes a may be made in a direction more or less parallel with the teeth b, as in the partial section, Fig. 3; and, moreover, instead of the bifurcated pins in Fig. 2, ordinary 'single-shanked pins c may be used with the comb, as indicated in Fig. 3 aforesaid. Moreover, the pins, either single shanked or bifurcated, may be made to pass either in front of the teeth I) of the comb or behind the same, and the number of eyes for the reception of said pinsmay vary from one to live or six, or more, as may be preferred. Furthermore, the comb itself, especially when intend ed merely for ornament, may have but a single tooth, as shown in Fig. 4, or may have two or more, according to the taste or wishes of the wearer. The eyes a, instead of being laterally-projecting ears a, may be provided through the central or middle portion of the head. A, as shown in Fig. 5, or through lugs f on the front or back, as indicated in the top view,

Fig. 6; or the eyes may be made in the teeth B, so that the pins may be thrust crosswise or obliquely through the teeth I) to hold the comb, this modification being represented in Pig. 7. When preferred, the eyes a, instead of being formed in the material of the comb itself, may be formed ina piece of metal or other substance, (shown at B in Fig. 8,) and riveted or otherwise fixed in proper position upon the comb. It will, of course, be understood that any desired ornamental configurations may be given to the heads or upper ends of the pins used in connection therewith, as herein set forth.

What I claim as my invention is- The comb A, having teeth I), and constructed with one or more holes, eyes, sockets, 0r holders, (1/, for the reception of hair-pins, to assist the teeth of the comb in retaining the comb in place upon the head, substantially as herein set forth.

BENJAMIN F. BRITTON.

Witnesses:

H. WELLs, Jr., JAMES A. WHITNEY. 

